-EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Football games are won by great players making great plays.

Football teams are made by unheralded players rising above and beyond their perceived level of competence.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and linebacker Clay Matthews are the sleekest thoroughbreds in the Green Bay Packers’ stable of workhorses. They deserve every penny they are paid and every ounce of credit they receive.

What has turned the Packers from being just another scuffling team in mid-October fighting against a wave of injuries into a serious Super Bowl contender in late November has been the extraordinary number of players who have elevated their play.

By early September, after watching a team practice and play for the six weeks of training camp, everyone should have a good feel for what the 53 players will do. That goes for the coaches, the personnel people and other daily observers, including me.

One of my annual exercises shortly before the start of the regular season is to count the number of veteran players who played significantly better in camp than they previously had and the number of rookies who were a lot better Aug. 31 than they were Aug. 1.

A key reason why I forecast a 10-6 finish for the Packers was the fact fewer players than normal had taken performance jumps in August.

What a difference 10 games can make. All the development that wasn’t evident in summer has come flooding to the forefront in the fall.

Last week, a personnel man for one of the NFL’s surprise teams was asked how many players on his club’s roster had taken their games to a higher level since the opening of the regular season. He said four or five.

That’s probably the way it would be most years in Green Bay.

Strictly by subjective measure, my count for the Packers during that same period of time is 12. Twelve!

How can this be?

Well, the injuries have meant unexpected playing time for a host of players. Beginning in October, the Packers have gone into several games without seven or eight starters. They were down nine starters and two key backups against Arizona in Game 9.

Some of the ascending players at linebacker and in the secondary still would be languishing on the bench without these opportunities.

Obviously, general manager Ted Thompson and his staff have assembled another strong roster, and coach Mike McCarthy and his staff have done well coaching the players up.

And some veterans finally started putting it all together.

It has been this emergence of talent, primarily on defense, that has driven the Packers’ five-game winning streak and placed them squarely in the championship hunt.

In alphabetical order, let’s take a closer look at what might be called the “Developing Dozen.” Included is where each player ranked in my preseason listing of his value to the team.

RANDALL COBB, WR (18): Until Greg Jennings went down early in Game 4 against New Orleans, Cobb was just picking up scraps at wide receiver and making cameo turns at running back.

Today, he leads the club in gains of 20 yards or more with eight, is averaging 14.4 yards in eight carries and leads the league in all-purpose yards with 1,527.

“Whew,” one personnel man said. “He’s a special because he can beat you any which way he needs to do it. Running it. Catching it. Returning it. And maybe throwing it.”

The closest comparison seems to be Minnesota’s Percy Harvin. One scout shuddered to think about the return of Jennings giving McCarthy the option “to just totally spread the field with four legitimate receivers.” He wasn’t considering tight end Jermichael Finley, either.

MIKE DANIELS, DT (33): He’s a sawed-off interior pass rusher that provides a helpful alternative to all the wide bodies in the defensive line.

From the first day of camp, Daniels made it known that he wouldn’t be pushed around. He’s chippy, in a good sort of way, and confident.

He’s also quick, strong and fast. He improved the team speed with his hustle and pursuit. He’s playing just 13.5 snaps per game, but on an average-per-snap basis he has been the most productive pass rusher among the six D-linemen.

Iowa has had several of its undersized D-tackles perform beyond expectations in the pros. Daniels has a chance to be the next.

CASEY HAYWARD, CB (35): The losses of Charles Woodson and Sam Shields turned Hayward into a full-time player in Game 7. At the rate he’s going, there’s not a chance he will be sitting any time soon.

Hayward leads the team in interceptions (five) and passes defensed (16). Not only that but he has yet to allow a touchdown pass, has given up just two plays of 20 yards or more, has missed three tackles and hasn’t been penalized.

By comparison, Tramon Williams has allowed six plays of 20 yards or more and two TD passes.

What Hayward didn’t have naturally he has learned from Woodson, the grand master of the takeaway. His run support has been fine, too, and so far his ordinary speed hasn’t been an issue.

When Woodson returns next month, the logical move would be to play him 100% at safety, keep Hayward in the slot on sub downs and let Davon House and Shields battle it out at right cornerback.

DAVON HOUSE, CB (34): A shoulder injury kept House off the field from Aug. 9 until Oct. 21. Since then, he has played 194 snaps in seven games, improving each Sunday.

Last week, he smothered Detroit’s Titus Young.

“I was impressed,” cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt said. “The way he got up and challenged. He got his hands on. Took the fight to those receivers. Physical. Demanding.”

In some ways, House is the opposite of Hayward. He’s better outside, big, fast and so-so at the ball. Some scouts question his willingness to hit and tackle.

House isn’t at Hayward’s level yet. It’s too close to call between him and a healthy Shields.

M.D. JENNINGS, S (38): Benched after several terrible plays Sept. 9 against the 49ers, he played as many plays (28) in Game 6 as the first five combined. When rookie Jerron McMillian faltered in a more encompassing role, Jennings has been the sub free safety five games in a row.

His distinguishing moment was the 72-yard interception return for a TD at Ford Field. More importantly, he has stayed away from the costly mistake since the opener, being responsible for just one-half play of 20 yards or more and no TD passes. His tackling has been serviceable, too.

Jennings put on 10 pounds (to 196) from a year ago but still looks skinny. He covers more ground than it seems and is a good athlete for the position.

Nobody is anointing Jennings as the long-term answer, but until Woodson returns there’s no reason to cut back on his time.

BRAD JONES, LB (51): Playing all but three snaps in the last four games at weak inside linebacker, Jones has stood out.

“Wow — what a surprise,” one NFC scout said. “What you have is a smart guy who is athletic and is figuring out quickly what to do inside. He’s a lot better inside.”

Jones hadn’t played a snap from scrimmage until D.J. Smith went down in Game 6. His special-teams participation has dwindled to zero in the last three games, and McCarthy last week admonished other players on special teams for failing to make up for Jones’ major contributions. His coverage needs work. Jones has been responsible for completions worth 27, 23 and 22 yards. But he clearly is not too leggy or too slow to play inside.

JAMES JONES, WR (29): Jones dropped 36 passes in his first five seasons. This year, he has none.

If Jones had caught the ball like this before his disappointing turn in unrestricted free agency two years ago, his average salary per year would be far more than $3.2 million.

“His numbers would have doubled at least, probably tripled,” one personnel man said. “He’s so big and strong, anyway. He’s making big plays instead of missing big plays. He could be a No. 2 (wide receiver)… he is a 2.”

T.J. LANG, G-T (12): Asking Lang to move from left guard to right tackle is like assigning a longtime beat writer to a foreign beat. You do it out of duty, but it still isn’t easy.

Lang demonstrated that he could play guard effectively in 2011. Until Bryan Bulaga went down in Game 9, Lang was on his way to becoming one of the top guards in the NFC.

“Lang has elevated his status with me this year over last year,” one scout said. “I’ve watched him all year. He doesn’t break down a lot. I like his intensity and his competitiveness. He’s a technician.”

Now Lang, short arms and all, has had to move outside as Josh Sitton, another collegiate tackle, stays inside. How he fares could determine the Packers’ fate.

TIM MASTHAY, P (32): Through eight games, Masthay’s average hang time was 4.45 seconds. It was 4.13 at midseason in 2011 and 4.16 the year before that.

The ever-modest Masthay said Friday that he was striking the ball better than he ever has in his life.

Masthay’s consistency has been remarkable. Of his 48 punts, just six have had less than 4.0 hang time. Only one, a 2.72 nose-diver against Jacksonville, was blatantly awful.

JERRON McMILLIAN, S (37): The bright-eyed rookie from Maine has played 56.4% of the downs (398) and 130 more on special teams. Considering his small-school background, the overall results have been more than adequate.

He can run. He can hit. He tries hard.

From Games 2-5, McMillian played 234 snaps to 13 for Jennings. But McMillian made some mistakes, evidenced by his yield of 31/2 plays of 20 yards or more. His role now is as the dime back in the 4-1 defense.

“He can move down and cover guys and all that stuff but he never seems to picks things up real fast,” one scout said. “He is definitely inconsistent, but he’s young.”

The scout said he’d take McMillian long-term over Jennings but would rather have Jennings now.

DEZMAN MOSES, LB (40): From Tulane by way of Iowa, Moses figured the best way to make an impression in camp was by being aggressive. He made the team hitting people.

Moses made this list because of how he has rushed the passer the last 11/2 games filling in for Matthews. He has six pressures and a batted ball in those 98 snaps after having three pressures in 67 snaps in the first eight games.

He gave Detroit left tackle Jeff Backus more than he could handle.

“He’s a guy that’s improving every week,” one scout said. “Played a different position (defensive end) in college. His strength and his feet are impressive. If you watch him from camp till now he’s continually made progress.”

He always gives phenomenal effort. He’s tough as nails. And he is seeing plays before they develop much better than even a year ago.

Walden was a better player than Nick Perry when a wrist injury ended the rookie’s season after six games. If he gets to free agency in March, look for another 3-4 team to pay him reasonable money.

“I don’t know if he’ll ever be a great player,” one scout said. “But he’s a solid player.”

The Developing Dozen is getting better and better. So, of course, are the Packers.

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